Workshops

Portugal 2016

In 2015, I joined a Facebook group dedicated to fine art textiles, as an administrator. The group is in the thousands and the administrators, from across the globe, monitor the posts. The admins are a group of talented textile artists that share their own art and enjoy giving others an opportunity to showcase their own work on Facebook. Cindy Steiler, www.cindysteiler.com another admin, mentioned jokingly that she needed some help with a project due to a tight time frame. I offered to help and travelled to help Cindy with an exhibition for Contextile 2016 in Guimaeres, Portugal, www.contextile.pt . It was an amazing experience to see the building of an exhibition. We embroidered from morning to night to get the pieces ready for exhibition. The experience highlighted the importance of flexibility as an artist.

Gros Morne 2017

In the winter of 2017, I met up with Cindy again, this time joining her at another artist residency, Gros Morne National Park, NL. We spent a fun weekend touring about the frozen island and meeting and sharing with local artists.

I find that people are eager to learn more about the technique of free motion machine embroidery, I have enjoyed giving talks to gatherings of interested people, quilt guilds and other textile groups. In the past couple of years I have been honoured to be invited to give workshops to members of several quilt guilds I the area. We usually work on the basics of free motion machine embroidery and then complete a small work with new found skills. I’ve been fortunate that the groups have been people that have enjoyed Sewing, learning new skills and enjoy the company of like minded people.

In the spring of 2017, I completed my first artist residency. I spent two weeks at a self directed artist residency at Stiwdio Maelor in Corris, Wales. I spent a glorious time painting and honing by hand embroidery skills. I met with an amazing embroiderer, Eileen Harrison from Dolgellau, her beautiful work was awe inspiring and exciting. I met other artists at Stiwdio Maelor that were generous and fun to share the experience with. I learned that to have dedicated time and space away helps grow my practice.

I was honoured last year to find a piece of my work (Marshes) featured in the Readers Gallery of the Australian magazine Textile Fibre Forum.